Chapter 5 Summary, Themes, and Key Moments

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Alexis Montgomery slips into her own house at six-thirty in the morning, looking like a mess: one shoe missing, hair tangled, caked in mud and animal fur, and wearing a hoodie she stole from a stranger's place. She had panicked and fled while the man slept. The night before, after her car got stuck on the way home from a funeral, a young man towed her out, made her a grilled cheese, and they ended up in bed. It was, she admits, the best sex of her life—but when she saw his driver's license, she discovered he was twenty-eight, almost a decade younger than her. That revelation triggered a full-blown freak-out, and she ran, losing a shoe in animal droppings on the way out.

Her twin brother Derek is waiting in her living room, having returned early from his Doctors Without Borders assignment in Cambodia. He teases her about the hickey on her neck and assumes she's gotten back together with Neil, her ex. Alexis explains that she met someone new, it's over, and she never even got his last name. She recounts the bizarre events: the loose pig, the friendly dog, the baby goat in pajamas. Derek is relieved it wasn't Neil.

Then Derek's tone turns serious. He asks Alexis to sign a non-disclosure agreement before he shares his news. She signs, and he reveals he got married last weekend to Lola Simone, a famous recording artist he's been seeing for six months. He's moving to Cambodia to be with her and to continue his volunteer work. Alexis is stunned and devastated—not just because she missed his wedding, but because his departure means she must stay at Royaume Northwestern Hospital, the institution her family has served for over a century. With Derek gone, she becomes the last Montgomery on staff, and she feels trapped.

She explains to Derek that she can't keep working with Neil, who she fears will gaslight her into returning. She describes how Neil chips away at her, makes her feel she deserved his mistreatment, and wears her down until she's too exhausted to resist. She's been applying to other hospitals, but the family legacy—a Montgomery on staff since 1897—makes leaving feel impossible. Derek encourages her to break the chain, but Alexis feels she has no choice. The chapter ends with her hopelessness as she realizes she'll never get away.

Key Events

Alexis sneaks into her house at dawn, disheveled and missing a shoe, after fleeing a one-night stand.
She reveals she panicked upon learning the man was twenty-eight, almost a decade younger than her.
Derek is waiting for her, having returned early from Cambodia.
They discuss her night; she explains the car trouble, the tow, the grilled cheese, and the animals.
Derek asks Alexis to sign an NDA before revealing his news.
He tells her he married Lola Simone and is moving to Cambodia.
Alexis realizes she must stay at Royaume due to the family legacy, trapped with Neil.
She describes Neil's gaslighting and emotional abuse, and her fear of being worn down.
Derek encourages her to break free, but she feels unable to.

Character Development

Alexis shows a rare moment of impulsivity in this chapter, acting completely out of character by having a casual one-night stand. Her panic over the age gap reveals her deep-seated need for control and her anxiety about deviating from her carefully planned life. More significantly, we see her vulnerability regarding Neil: she openly admits to Derek that Neil's emotional abuse has left her fragile, and she fears she'll fall back into his trap if she stays. Her sense of duty to the Montgomery legacy is overwhelming, and she feels like a prisoner to her family's expectations.

Derek emerges as a character who has chosen personal happiness over family obligation. He kept his relationship and marriage secret to protect his wife's privacy, showing his commitment to her. He's supportive of Alexis, but he also prioritizes his own life, leaving her to face the consequences of the family legacy alone. His advice to break the chain is well-meaning but highlights the contrast between his freedom and her entrapment.

Neil is not present but looms large. Through Alexis's words, we understand him as a manipulative ex who uses gaslighting to control her. His refusal to collect his belongings from her garage is a small but telling detail—he's keeping a foothold in her life.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Family legacy and obligation: The Montgomery name carries immense weight. Alexis describes the hospital as having had a Montgomery on staff since 1897, and she feels she cannot be the one to break that chain. The legacy is both a source of pride and a cage.
Breaking free from expectations: Derek's decision to leave represents a break from the family mold, while Alexis feels unable to do the same. His encouragement to her to break the chain underscores this theme.
Gaslighting and emotional abuse: Alexis explicitly uses the term